


Stories I'd Love to Read

by MantaCat



Category: Danny Phantom, Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies), X-Men - All Media Types
Genre: Drabble, Flip a coin, Gen, Idea Grab-bag, prompts
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-31
Updated: 2021-02-28
Packaged: 2021-03-11 01:33:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 2,021
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28456878
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MantaCat/pseuds/MantaCat
Summary: A collection of prompts and story ideas I'd love to see explored, but am not a skilled enough writer to accomplish myself. Brief ideas that flashed through my head on the walk to work, summery-like idea pitches, dnd style dice rolling, and brief story snippets, all thrown together.The stories in this collection are all set in the Marvel universe, or primarily based off it.
Comments: 18
Kudos: 60





	1. In which the Ghost Zone connects to the MCU

**Author's Note:**

> These are basically all stories I'd like to read and haven't found yet. If stories using these ideas have been written, let me know the title/author in the comments so I can find and read them!
> 
> The amazing Enigmaris was my introduction to the Danny Phantom meets MCU cross-over world with the masterpiece that is "The Ghost of Heroes". I would love to see more works combining these fandoms!

Earth's Sorcerer Supreme protects the planet from inter-dimensional threats via a shield-spell that blocks extra-dimensional travelers. Like Dormammu. Who is actually a ghost, and the Dark Dimension is actually just an alternative name for the Ghost Zone. When the Hong Kong Sanctum falls and Doctor Strange battles to keep Dormammu from destroying the world, Danny Phantom also finds his way into the MCU. 

It's a plot device to get Danny into the MCU, but there are so many ways you could play with it. Just a few contrasting approaches to play with, flip a coin if it pleases...

— Does Danny arrive in Hong Kong via the same portal as Dormammu, mid-battle? Does the fall of the inter-dimensional shield allow a different, natural portal to open up in the US, dumping Danny into the MCU with no-one the wiser? 

— Was Danny tipped off by Clockwork, and knows what's up, or does it take a while for him to realize he's in an alternate universe? 

— Is Danny a green-around-the-ears ghost-boy, or King Phantom, experienced and powerful enough to speak to the Avengers as a representative of his people? 

In order for Danny to get home he'll have to convince Doctor Strange, Earth's new Sorcerer Supreme, to lower the shield around the planet long enough for him to get back to the Ghost Zone. A simple plan in principle, if Danny already knows that's what he needs to do. If he doesn't... well then he'll have to figure that out as he stumbles through the MCU.


	2. Peter Parker's Junior Avenger Training Program

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Featuring an overworked Happy Hogan and an enthusiastic Peter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This idea came to me when I was chatting with a friend about what training it would take to be a real-life superhero, besides the typical punch, dodge, espionage in movies. And then I started wondering what training actually existed for those skills.

In Spider-Man Homecoming, Happy is pulled in twenty directions at once coordinating the move out of Stark Tower and fielding Peter's daily reports on his spider-man adventures. In cannon, he snaps at Peter and shuts him out.

But what if Happy decided that the best way to get Peter out of his hair was to keep the kid occupied and safely out of the way? He doesn't have time to write lesson plans or oversee training, so he starts by signing Peter up for Red Cross First Aid/CPR/AED classes — adult, child, and infant. Then lifeguard training... then Battlefield First Aid... Search and Rescue... Crisis Intervention... NYC's evacuation and shelter plans... and anything else he can think of. 

Peter's "internship" training as a B-Team superhero (indirectly) under Ironman isn't what he expected. But if he wants to be a superhero, first he needs to learn how to be a regular one. EMT, Firefighter, 911 operator, FEMA... It'll be a miracle if he makes it through basic training before he graduates Midtown — and he's still just a sophomore!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I particularly like the idea of Peter getting training in de-escalation, crisis-intervention, etc. I feel like he has the intelligence and compassion needed (and proclivity for conversation) to step into those roles. How awesome would it be if Peter Parker volunteered with a youth crisis helpline? And along the way gained a support network and the tools/techniques to better address the pressures of being on the front line as Spider-Man.


	3. Animal Companions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I grew up with animals, and some days I just really miss my cat. I'm not allowed pets in my apartment :( Is it possible to share the love vicariously through fanfiction?

Spider-Man with an animal companion or some kind, either super-powered or regular! 

Maybe it's a stray kitten he rescues from a tree, or a puppy from a lab. I feel like there's been enough alien contact and genetic experimentation in MCU cannon to justify a super-powered pet. I remember reading "Avalon: Web of Magic" by Rachel Roberts and how adorable would it be for Peter to go around NYC as Spider-Man with a winged cat or a mist-wolf? Trying to convince Aunt May or Tony Stark to let him keep his new companion and promising not to bring in more strays...

...This is the kind of story that, when tagged "fluff" could be true in every sense of the word.


	4. Blue Blooded

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> One of Spider-Man's defining traits is that he protects his civilian identity fiercely. But not all mutants/mutates/supers "pass" as phenotypical humans. What if Peter didn't either?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This could be any sort of obvious cue/give-away that Peter doesn't fit the socially acceptable non-mutant mold of MCU's America. Blue blood just ended up as my example "tell" because when I googled "weird facts about spiders" that was one of the first things to pop up. 
> 
> Not passing, and worrying about not passing, sucks. I try to avoid reading stories tagged angst or whump because I need way more fluff at the end to get that cathartic mood boost advertised on the hurt/comfort wrapper. When I first came up with this prompt, I was fantasizing about epic Spider-Man and Avenger team up against Hydra or the X-Men against Magneto.

Spiders have blue blood, rather than red. After the bite that gave him his powers, Peter does too. He can cover himself from head-to-toe as Spider-Man, and as long as he doesn't get cut no one knows any different. But as Peter Parker, wearing his Midtown High School uniform, hiding isn't so easy. Aunt May is worried for him, and there is way too much speculation floating around for his comfort levels. Has he developed methemoglobinemia? Is he a mutant or mutate who has come into his powers? Is he actually an alien or some weird hybrid? And what the heck is a Kree? Peter's condition has attracted the attention of more than just Midtown's gossip mongers, from sources both benevolent and malicious, leaving Peter with no choice but to adapt and quickly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It seems like Peter running away from home to protect Aunt May would be the go-to with this one, but I think it would be really cool if instead Peter and May faced the challenges of his being different together, with maybe some Avengers family TLC as well to go with the epic battles against the forces of evil.


	5. Danny Fenton and Tony Stark

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Danny Fenton meets Tony Stark rather than Harley Keener in Iron Man 3.

When Tony crash lands in Tenessee when his Iron Man suit runs out of power, he winds up just outside of Amity Park, where he is found by one Danny Fenton. I think there are a lot of ways this could go, so if I flipped a coin some of the possibilities would be:

1\. Danny's parents haven't finished building the Ghost portal yet, meaning he's just an average kid, or Danny has already become Phantom.

2\. The Fentons' inventions are as advanced as in DP cannon so Danny can just lend Stark one of his parents mechanical suits/vehicles or they are less advanced to fit in with MCU universe and so Stark fixes his own suit using the Fentons' lab.

3\. Afterwords, Stark re-outfits the Fentons' lab with new tools and keeps in touch with Danny like he did Harley Keener until Danny is older and becomes more involved in hero-ing, or he decides to invest in Fenton Works and Danny's civilian life becomes more intwined with the MCU. 

I can just picture Stark getting a message one night from a teenage Danny, panicking about becoming a half-ghost and stepping into the mentor role (while also blowing a gasket about him disregarding lab safety) or an already half-dead Phantom, finding the crash-landed Iron Man sneaking Stark into his parent's lab and being like "yeah, you can just borrow one of the Fentons' suits for now, but can you send it back once you're done?" Stark flipping out because how are these basement inventors so advanced?!?! and Danny shrugging his parents' achievements off because "They just got really excited and went on an inspired inventing binge when they saw the Iron Man suits on TV. They're always like that."


	6. Coming Out?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter Parker has his Big Gay Awakening, but coming out doesn't go quite as planned. 
> 
> Or...
> 
> Spider-Man thinks it's obvious he's gay, and just assumes everyone knows.

Peter Parker, in a Eureka moment, realized he was gay. Knowing without a doubt that his family and friends would accept him, immediately went about sharing his revelation... only to be disappointed when no one shares his excitement. 

"Wait... weren't you already out?"

"I thought you were out when we met? Gay jokes have been the foundation of our friendship..."

"You wear a pride bracelet every day and are secretary of the LGBT club. I kinda assumed you weren't straight."

"Weren't you and [insert name] dating? I though you two were a thing?"

OR:

Spider-Man is gay. He's so out of the closet he may not have ever been in it. So when he begins joining up with the Avengers, going to public events, speaking with reporters, he's blind-sighted by the assumption that he's straight. Like, HOW DO YOU NOT KNOW?? IS MY SEWING THAT BAD? HAVE I LOST MY GAY CARD??? How has he not triggered everyone's gaydar by now? 

"Wait, you... you don't know?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The first happened to a friend who I knew for two years and thought had been out since before we met when he has his Big Gay Awakening. 
> 
> The second to me when I transferred at work and thought everyone knew I was trans, then confused one of my co-workers when I started talking about That One Time I Went to an All Girls High School without providing context. 
> 
> Would love to see one of these scenarios play out with one of my favorite characters.


	7. Mutant Spider

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An over-powered Spider-Man and Xavier's school does summer camp. A slice-of-life story featuring teens with the power to accidentally destroy the planet.

Spider-Man originally got his powers from a radioactive spider bite. Kinda like how gamma radiation created the Hulk following Doctor Banner's experiments. But what if Peter had a negative reaction to the spider bite that triggered the activation of his mutant genes, and ended up with both mutant and radioactive-spider abilities. He would end up very, very over powered, but also get the attention of the X-men and thereby a support network. 

Peter goes to Xavier's School for the Gifted for summer classes to learn how to manage his abilities while still attending Midtown during the regular year. Aunt May signs up and joins the parent/guardian support network for raising mutant kids. 

What is Peter's mutant ability? Do the X-Men find him before Uncle Ben's death, and if so does Uncle Ben live? Does he still become Spider-Man with the possibility of joining the X-Men? If he does, is it a secret?


	8. Spider-Man is a Teething Puppy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> One thing I really like about Miles in Into The Spider Verse, is that he looks his age even in his Spider-Man costume. Like, most teenage Spider-Man portrayals have him looking 20 at age 15 in his suit, and the Daily Bugle, Villains, and other Heroes are generally convinced he's in his early 20s. 
> 
> So I really want to see a 14/15 year old Spider-Kid that everyone, old ladies helped across the street, bicycle thieves, Avengers, newspapers, supervillains, EVERYONE knows is a kid. Much to one Peter Parker's chagrin.

The front page of the Daily Bulge asks in bold print if parents knew what their kids were getting up to last night. Underneath the headline is a picture of Spider-Kid (-Man! it's Spider-Man!) rescuing an old man from a burning building. The article complains that he's destroying Queens faster than a teething puppy chews up shoes. The puppy metaphor, unfortunately, sticks. 

Old ladies he helps carry groceries for all try to feed Peter. Petty criminals stop mid-crime when he arrives bargaining "Okay kid, I'll put down the crowbar, just stop messing with that web-thing before you shoot yourself in the face," or surrender after a simple "child, no. You're gonna hurt yourself, honey." 

The Avengers get complaints from the public and government about letting a super-kid run around untrained and unsupervised. Yet he's not allowed to join their ranks on account of being a minor. 

No matter who Peter tells that his secret identity is to protect his loved ones from evil villains, they just shake their head and reprimand him for lying because they know he hides his face to avoid getting grounded. 

No one takes him seriously, but every once in a while, when he does go up against a real threat, being vastly under-estimated gives him a critical advantage. Puppy teeth, after all, are very sharp.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love stories with the Avengers acting as Peter's family, looking after him and raising him, and kinda want to see it taken even further to all of Queens being like "this is our collective super-child".


	9. Friendly Competition

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I think this would make a fun MCU one-shot. Could also role-play this dnd style using ability scores and saving throws for the characters!

The Avengers, largely due to the efforts of Spider-Man, agree to compete against each other on Ninja Warrior for charity. It seems like Spider-Man's skill set will give him an advantage on the course, but who will come in second? Black Widow? Captain America? Can Tony Stark even complete the course without his Iron Man suit on? And of course, when the Avengers compete against each other, everyone always plays fair... right?


	10. Nick Fury's Nephew

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Featuring Team Phantom, code names, and Nick Fury's embarrassing attempts at being a hip... he means cool... uncle. I'd like to see more of Fury's character development like what was in the Captain Marvel movies, honestly.

Nick Fury's real name wasn't Fury. It was Foley. He had an older brother in middle-of-nowhere Amity Park, who had a wife and a son, Tucker. Nick was proud of the kid, who was clever enough with technology and going places (Nick was not above recruiting his nephew for SHIELD once the kid hit eighteen). And when he needed a break from the chaos of the Avengers, he could sneak off to his brother's place for some R&R. That is, until rumors of ghosts started circulating and Nick scheduled himself some time off to investigate things without drawing attention to his well-hidden relatives.

Meanwhile, Team Phantom is just trying to do their thing, but Tucker's lame uncle (who was a waste water manager for the army or something) keeps popping up where he isn't invited. But the Team are used to keeping secrets, and are practiced enough actors to fool one glorified plumber... right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'd love to see Team Phantom epically failing to fool Fury, but what happens next? How would Fury handle his nephew being right on the front lines of a war against ghosts? Or are the battles in Amity so mild compared to what he's used to that it looks like a fun training exercise?


	11. Fluffy Soulbond Shenanigans

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Featuring a platonic soul-bond between Tony Stark and Peter Parker.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I enjoy all the cliches, really, but I overthink everything, so in the soulmate AUs where writing appears on skin, I can't help but question how that would actually work. What constitutes language? What counts as writing? What language would a name appear in if the soulmate grew up bilingual? Cave art includes use of common and regionally-specific symbols: Would those count?

Most people received messages from their soulmate on their arm, whichever was their soulmates non-dominant one, in either the form or writing or drawings. The mark would remain on the receiver's arm for however long it took to wash off the writer's. This was also true if one partner got a tattoo, or if someone else wrote on their skin. Tony had met a few losers at MIT who had the misfortune of identifying their soulmate via matching sharpie-dicks on their foreheads. 

But Tony Stark was not one of those people. For most of his life, his arms remained entirely blank. He was in a board meeting the first time he received a sign that his soulmate was alive. He was thinking through a new system design, not listening to the Obadiah's presentation, when the geezer sitting across from him sat up straight, eyes bugging, and staring at Tony's face like he'd never seen it before. Then someone else glanced over and did the same thing. Another person, and another, and Tony was starting to feel wigged out when Obadiah trailed off. His old mentor opened his mouth, but before he could say anything, Tony's assistant Pepper cut in.

"Mr. Stark, I think you'd best go take a look in the bathroom mirror." Tony couldn't get a read on either her tone or her expression, so he hustled out.

In the bathroom, Tony found his face covered in black scribbles. As he looked, more continued to be added. He had a soulmate. He had a soulmate who was a toddler. He had a soulmate who was a toddler currently scribbling on their own face.

... It turned out the kid used sharpie.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I like the idea of Tony co-parenting Peter by exchanging messages with Peter's parents, who would see the writing on Peter's arms, and later Ben and May both before Peter can read and after (to the kid's embarrassment?). Like, "I won't wash this message off until Ben signs that he read it, Kid. So hup-to."

**Author's Note:**

> I've never tried writing story prompts before, but I figure I'm more likely to see stories with the premises I want if I put my ideas out there... so here is the first of my ideas.


End file.
